Inside the Wind
by Joei Write
Summary: Shira and Diego want to be together, but both are too headstrong to admit it. Sometimes Shira wishes she had someone who could always be there for her and never slow down, just like the wind. Diego wants to be her wind, and he'll do anything to prove it. Romance one-shot between Diego and Shira, and finding love in the most unlikely places.


**Now it's time for me to try something new! I saw Ice Age 4, and I can't help but notice something. Shira's past isn't touched on at all, neither was her life on the boat with Captain Gutt. I also noticed how a lot of animated couples are coming out this summer. These are like Diego and Shira, Alex and Gia from Madagascar 3, and even in Brave for crying out loud. But Diego and Shira are my favorite, so here's to them! Keep in mind that this doesn't take place in any other fiction, it's completely on its own, and this is also the second fiction I've done without Age or Hayley, just a little MyWayWriter trivia for you!**

Inside the Wind

By MyWayWriter

_The wind… so free as it moves across the ocean and the land. Not really being affected by us, and if we interfere, it just blows us away. You're the only one that's been there for me this whole time, when I was home, and when I was on the water, no matter when the wind blew, I was always there to say hello and feel your cooling press against my fur. _Shira thought to herself as she sat on a rock near a cliff on her new home. Sure, she had traded one floating rock for another, but this rock had something better on it than she could ever really want. On this rock, she had a herd, not a crew. Her whole life as a first mate was filled with triumph and maternity, no one except Gutt was in charge of her, and aside from him, she answered to no one. But as sweet as having power was to Shira, she just felt more, like a connection to the outside, and she needed a real home. The wind gave her this, it was always there, no matter where she was, she longed for someone who was like the wind, someone who'd always be there.

"But when is that gonna happen?" Shira asked herself and laid her head down on her paws still letting her friend, the wind, travel across her body, and then swiftly blow away. Ever since Diego had said his famous line 'Come with us…come with me…' she just had these strange feelings around him. She began to worry that she was getting soft like him, so for the time being she brushed away the thought and entered a light sleep.

Diego was prowling around the island looking for his next meal, he was really parched. Even though another saber had recently entered his life, and his emotions were fluctuating, he knew probably better than Shira that the saber's breeding season was drawing close. Over all the years he'd lived with his wonderful, loving herd, he never worried about it. But now that there was a girl on this island with him, he was going to be swimming in hormones, and he'd probably attack a few things he wouldn't want to later.

The effects of the thought came onto Diego right away during his hunt; he was stalking some fish along the beach, for he was growing too nice to attack any animals, he had started to hate the sound of them begging for mercy as he ripped them to pieces and feasted. As he pawed his way across the pebbled sand, each one felt like a spike in his feet, causing him to twitch with every step. The fish he was hunting keep bobbing up and down in the water, but one fish in particular strayed away from the school, it swam closer to the shore, and so Diego pounced. The fish was skewered on one of his two big teeth, even though this was an accident, he used it and took the fish back on the beach. He sat down to enjoy his catch when all of a sudden,

"Diego…" Diego blinked and the fish had turned into Shira. "Why are you eating me? I thought you cared about me…"

"I do…I do…I'd never hurt you. I said I don't fight girls…" He replied to his mirage.

"Then why don't you let me go?" The Fish-Shira said in Diego's head.

"Okay…yeah, of course…" He picked up 'Shira' in his mouth and placed her back in the water. The fish then dived back into the deep, causing a splash that got Diego's face wet and shook him back into reality.

He wiped his face off and saw his lunch swim away, and growled at himself in humiliation and embarrassment. Diego's stomach still growling as madly as he was not five minutes ago, he picked up his pride and headed back to the clearing on the island where everyone hung out and got together. The moment he walked in he saw Louis and Peaches talking with Ethan. They seemed like they were having a fun time, so he didn't wanna be a downer. However, the minute he turned back around, he heard Ethan say, "Hey…is that your Uncle Diego?" After that, Diego knew he was going to have to turn around and talk with them.

"Hi Uncle Diego…!" Peaches shouted to him and ran up around him like the happy, fun, and spunky teenaged mammoth she was.

"Hi Peaches…how are you and…" He stole a glace and Louis and Ethan, "The boys…" He said with a sneer. Diego had been a real pain about that with Manny, he had told him that Ethan liked Peaches, but he wasn't sure about Louis.

"Oh they're fine, just some classic boy issues." Peaches informed her cat uncle.

"Classic boy issues…? Peaches, what is that supposed to mean? Are you stuck between choosing between the two of them?" Of course, Diego was joking, but Peaches got a serious look on her face, like she had actually took it into consideration.

"Well, that's sort of the issue Uncle Diego…" He shot her a look of real confusion, Louis was a molehog, and Ethan was a mammoth, and Peaches was a mammoth, so what was the decision's problem?

"Uh…Peaches…Louis is a molehog right?" Diego explained like he was talking to a newborn. Peaches looked like she was ready to pounce on him like he had pounced on that fish.

"That's not the problem! I know he's a molehog! The problem is that…Ethan said he doesn't mind having Louis around, but he always does things that a molehog like him can't, like he trying to make him not want to hang out with us." Peaches got a tear in her eye, she loved Louis as a friend so much, and she felt like she was being forced to choose between them, again.

"Why don't you talk to Ethan about that? What's the worst he could do?" Diego suggested to his niece. Peaches brushed away the tear in her eye and spoke quietly,

"Well…I guess I could give it a try…" She said and walked over to Ethan and Louis. Diego heard them talk of a second and Louis nodded his head and burrowed underground while Peaches walked off with Louis. **(For those of you who don't know, Louis has a crush on Peaches, and Peaches used to have a crush on Ethan, but she doesn't anymore. Louis keeps trying to tell her, but he's too shy, he fears she officially put him in the friend zone.)**

Louis dug his way over in Diego's direction, and instead of him moving his paw, he let Louis run into it. He heard an 'oww' from below the dirt, and Louis then popped his head up to see what he had hit. When he looked up and saw it was Diego, he froze. "Uh…uh…uh…" If there was ever a moment in Louis' life where was meek, this was it. "Uh…hi Mr. Peaches' Uncle…how are you?" It was the best he could do. The whole ordeal with the landmass back on the mainland had made him a little braver than he used to be.

"Fine…and you Wiener…?" Wiener, Louis hated that name. He had been nicknamed that thanks to Manny.

"Don't call me that!" Louis snapped back, that name just tweaked his nerves. "I have a real name you know, is Peaches the only one who uses it?" Louis yelled at Diego from right next to his paw.

"Sorry Louis, that's just what I'm used to hearing you being called. So, you were saying how you were?" Diego reminded him, Louis calmed down a bit, and took a deep breath.

"Right, sorry; I really hate that name. But…I've been better. I still can't tell Peaches how I feel about her." Louis assumed everyone knew except her, because a lot of animals in their herd _did _know. Diego widened his eyes, but covered it back up as soon as Louis looked back.

"Well…why haven't you?"

"Because, I'm afraid I'll lose her." Louis sighed, and Diego became curious. "If I tell her, she might react harshly, and never want to see me again because I scared her. I mean…I'm a molehog! But she's the most wonderful mammoth a guy could ever have, she needs a good someone to watch out for her. I'm really afraid I already lost her." Louis got fuzzy inside, and he felt his heart start to beat fast. "Take note of that Mr. Diego sir, if you care about someone, don't wait until it's too late, you'll pay for it dearly." Louis finished his heartfelt monologue, and dug back under the ground and scurried off into the brush.

After Diego kept walking past the open space after his talk with Louis, he couldn't help but think that Louis had a point, and it made him think about how he felt about Shira. He knew that he cared about Shira, so much that he'd gladly jump in front of her if a spear was heading her way. But what confused him is why he was so nervous to tell her. The thought he kept telling himself was that she already knew how he felt, according to everyone else they were already a couple. The thoughts were rampaging through his mind and spilling out his mouth.

"This is crazy, on the ice I couldn't sleep, here I can't eat, and right now, I can't even think!" Diego stopped moving and gave his head a hard rub to try and get the thoughts out of his head.

Shira had gotten up from her cat nap and was just strolling around the island enjoying the sights of her new home. She didn't notice any of the magnificent features her dome claimed, like a beautiful cascading waterfall with rainbow mist overhead, creating a setting more than perfect for any situation, the vast green jungles of the more beach side areas; and the beaches themselves good for relaxing and snoozing while listening to the poetic crash of the waves and birds. And of course the tall mountain like rock in the center, great for exercise and agility training.

Shira was about done with her walk around when she happened to come across the same tree where she was being held captive by Diego when they first arrived. She remembered how she told him he was soft and how he denied it, and from here she could also look over the edge of the cliff and see the place where he asked her to come with him, to which she accepted. The white-striped saber didn't want to admit to it, but like it or not she was falling for Diego, if anything she had already fallen for him. She walked inside the tree and took a gasp inside and noticed the still water filled shell Diego had given her. He had spent so much time talking to her that night, and how did she repay his kindness and company? She ran away and gave them up to her captain, Gutt. She was a lousy herd member then, but now she was probably as qualified to be part of the family as Sid was, and that's saying a lot.

She smiled at all her heartwarming memories and recalled her earlier thought about the wind. _Maybe these guys are my wind. They seem like they're always going to be there, but what about Diego? _Shira was also aware that the season for herself and other tigers was coming up, and if she had any intentions of making Diego her mate, she was going to have to do it soon. _I guess I'll just talk to him, just slip it into the conversation a little, I know he likes me, that much is obvious, but I don't know if he loves me… _Her thoughts were interrupted by a sniffle from outside. She perked her ears up and she tucked herself back into the corner of her former prison cell and waited for someone to come into sight. To her surprise, it was Peaches, she as walking all by herself. Shira sighed with relief and walked out.

"Hi Peaches…" Shira had scared her by accident. After Peaches jumped, Shira padded her trunk, "Oh I'm sorry sweetie, I didn't mean to…"

"It's fine Auntie Shira…" The name threw her off guard.

"Auntie Shira…? Where did that come from?" Shira asked in a, somewhat eager voice.

"Are you and Uncle Diego together? That's what my daddy told me." Peaches questioned her, Shira had to admit, the pretty much had become a couple, but it wasn't official. To avoid pressure, Shira just used the lie to try and get some 'needed' information out of Peaches.

"Oh, right…I'm sorry, I'm not used to having a boyfriend." Shira said and sat down on her side and looked at Peaches wanting more.

"Yeah, my daddy tells me you guys are gonna become husband and wife this season. When is that again?"

"I don't remember, it's soon though."

"Eh…well I just hope you have a better time with Uncle Diego than I did with Ethan." Peaches' eyes drooped a little at her false crush.

"What happened with Ethan?" Shira hadn't her about the incident.

"Ethan made me accidentally say I wasn't friends with Louis, but Louis is the most important boy in my life besides my daddy. I'll always regret saying I wasn't his friend, he means the world to me." One of Shira's eyebrows raised at Peaches' last comment.

"Sound to me like you think of him more as a boyfriend than a friend." This made Peaches shoot back in shock.

"What…! No…he's my…" Peaches then thought about how she'd spent pretty much every day of her life with Louis, they played together, they had sleep overs, and how he had been the only voice to defend her against Captain Gutt. "Oh…I guess he is kind of like a boyfriend to me." Peaches breathed in deep, and then she looked at Shira, "Look Auntie Shira, if you're not really a couple with Uncle Diego, I suggest to you do so. I can't but think back on all the things Louis had done for me, and I completely ignored him. So if you think you have someone looking out for you, be sure to let them know. I was just talking to Ethan not five minutes ago, and he was suddenly called away by his friends, like he didn't even care." Peaches' eyes narrowed at the anger Ethan caused her, "Look if you like Uncle Diego, just tell him." And then Peaches walked off, but before she was completely gone, Shira called out to her,

"Peaches…!" And she stopped and gazed at her saber toothed soon to-be-Aunt, "Thanks…" Peaches smiled and left into the island jungle.

Then out of nowhere as if on cue, Diego popped out of the jungle and was still rubbing his head, Shira saw him and found it to be very funny watching him try to walk on three legs. Diego then sat his butt down on the ground and scratched his head with his back leg, and Shira giggled, letting him know that she was watching.

"Shira…!" He yelling and quickly covered himself back up by putting his leg down.

"So your soft everywhere?" She teased. Diego blushed madly and put his ears down.

"At least I don't where jewelry!" He threw back, but he was teasing too. They both had a good laugh about and he walked over to her and sat down next to her.

"So I guess I know everything I need to know about you." Shira said with a smile, but she was trying to be nice. When you live on a boat with pirates for most of your life, things you say tend to come out rude more often than you would like.

"And I know nothing about you…" Diego said and searched her with his eyes, he told himself over and over how beautiful she was, a stunning white tigress, and her stripes only made her look better. "But I'd like to…"

Shira saw this as a chance to slip in the mating season topic, but tried not to make it obvious. "Well you know that I'm the only other saber on this island, so I guess you have no choice." She still sound ominous, but was trying her best.

Diego had a different idea though, "How about this…I'll chase you, and if I catch you, you have to answer one question I ask you; does that sound fair to you?" Diego asked her nicely standing up on all four of his feet.

"I'll agree, but it's only fair to me." Shira got up on her feet quickly and turned to him, "If you catch me, you can be my wind…" And she sprinted off, any faster and there would've been fire where she dashed.

"Her wind…?" Diego thought, he shook his head and ran after her.

The chase went all over the island, over the rocks, across the beaches, up the center mountain and beyond the forest's green. Diego always had her in sight due to his endurance training after his encounter with the guanlongs **(Those weird looking "Chicken-headed freaks" from Dawn of the Dinosaurs)**, and soon enough Shira was running out of places to speed to, so she took another route up the mountain to see if he could keep up and sure enough he did. She tried making a different turn from the last one she did, but this was a massive mistake. Using her keen foresight as a well-trained saber, she was able to tell the path she was running on was coming to an end, and she had no place to jump. She stopped by the edge and turned to see Diego come right at her, she was about to call for him to stop but he tackled her right over the edge and they both fell.

They rolled down the rock and got bumps and bruises, but Diego noticed that the cliff side came to a steep drop, he turned to Shira and grabbed her and put her on top of him and they fell over the edge again and fell onto a canopy of overhanging trees, in the fall through the branches, Diego's spine was hammered by numerous branches and Shira was turned on the bottom, causing them to finally fall and roll onto the dirt clearing in the center of the island, with the other members of the herd ironically standing there. Diego shook his head, his back wasn't bleeding, but it was spiking with pain.

"That was nasty, sorry I didn't stop." Diego apologized for running them over the edge.

"You took several hits for me, I can't be mad." They didn't know the herd was watching. "So I'm for what I said before, about you being my wind."

"Yeah, I was thinking about that the whole time. What did you mean? Is the wind the only thing that can catch you?" He tried asking, but to him, Shira couldn't lie.

"Diego…the wind is the only thing that has been with me my whole life. I've never had that certain saber come along and be there when I need him, you know?" Diego noticed that the way they landed was kind of awkward. He had wound up standing over her with his face directly above hers, and her underbelly exposed, all four of her legs up in the air; it was just like the way that he had pinned her when Sid's Granny had said 'If they kiss, I'm gonna puke'.

"Uh…no…I don't really know." They still didn't see the herd watching, they were too focused on one another, Shira's scent was attacking Diego's nose and filled his head with fantasies. "But I understand the concept; you want someone who'll always have your back."

"Yeah…now…" She recalled her deal with him, "You caught me, I owe you the answer to one question…" She slyly said to him and narrowed her eyes on his forehead, which began to sweat.

"Oh yeah…uh…" Diego tried to avoid the question he really wanted to ask, but he couldn't think of anything else, so let himself be soft just this once and told her what he was thinking.

"Shira I…" He took one more, very long lasting bottomless breath, "You remind me so much of me. You're fast, agile, strong, proud, fearless, but most of all…you're very stubborn." Shira laughed nautically, she knew that was a compliment because she knew it was true. "And we both know that mating season is hunting down both of us…so I…" Shira knew where this was going, and she began to get ticklish inside in anticipation of his question. Everyone else in the herd also watched in excitement of Diego's proposal, if that's what he was about to do. "I want to be your wind Shira, the thing that always comforts you right when you need it. Shira…" Her ears perked up, "Will you me my mate?" The herd cheered, but the two lovers didn't hear them, all they could hear was their synchronized heartbeats, beating faster than they ever ran together. Shira placed one of her paws on his face and lifted her head up towards his, _I feel so soft inside…_she thought before she said anything, _I guess we make each other soft…_

"Yes, Diego…of course I'll be your mate." Diego grinned without using his teeth, and the two leaned in for a first kiss, but Granny spoiled the moment.

"IF THEY KISS…I'M GONNA PUKE…" She yelled, it was then that Diego and Shira saw everyone was watching, they were both frozen and could move. Sid came up behind her and tapped her shoulder,

"Granny, you already said that." Sid reminded his 80 year old grandma.

"No I didn't, I'd know, I have a very sharp memory…that's how I learned all of your names, Sidney, Bash, Smelly, Piego, Sheepra, Fatty, Leaches, Belly, and Wiener…" Everyone was dumfounded by their 'names', except Louis.

"Of course, that's the one she remembers!" He exclaimed out loud.

Diego and Shira were still in their pinned position, and Diego broke the silence that followed Granny's name calling. "Shira…" Everyone looked at her, and she looked at Diego, "Wanna make her puke?" HE said it in the nicest way, so nice that Shira skipped answering and pushed her lips against his.

Everyone gasped at first, but then they cheered so loudly, that the whole island shook with bliss. Shira was locked into her kiss with Diego, it felt so right to her, her paw only tightened around Diego's soft and fuzzy face as she continued their first kiss. Diego hadn't known what had happened, he asked, and she had answered in the best way she possibly could've. Diego's eyes were closed, and in that blackness he saw nothing but an imaginary Shira's face kissing him back. Love had finally tracked Diego down, and he himself couldn't have enjoyed it more. The herd members left them alone, and by the time the sky had turned orange, there was no denying it anymore; Diego and Shira were together. As soon as they were done kissing, Shira pulled away, him still looming over her like a knight in shining armor, she had only one last thing to think to herself.

_I finally found my wind…_

**So what did you think? I know I got a little off the main plot with the hints at the Peaches and Louis pairing, but I thought if they saw how Peaches and Louis were it would make for a more valid love story. Anyway, I love Diego and Shira, they are such a perfect couple, maybe if I'm asked I'll continue this story, but only if I'm asked. I'll do more Diego and Shira stuff in the future, but not right now. Lastly…Diego and Shira FOREVER! Thanks for reading, and goodnight. **


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